FIVE individual titles were up for grabs at last Sunday’s Connolly’s Red Mills/Association of Irish Riding Clubs national show jumping championships at Mullingar Equestrian.
The new RC110/RC120 champion is Greenhills’ Mia Browne who secured victory when clear in a jump-off on her 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Empress Nala (Honour Cruise – Coolcorran Lady, by Puissance). Her sole rival in that third round, Rathangan’s Emma Nugent, had a fence down with Roscandy.
Twenty-one riders contested the RC100 championship but only two, both members of Coole Lane, recorded double clears and progressed to take one another on against the clock. Again, they were closely matched but, clear in 48.11, Charlie Watts claimed the honours with Kieran Cahill’s 14-year-old home-bred ISH gelding Srilanka Rebble Doc (by Dontoctro Ryal K).
Also clear, Leonard Reamsbottom stopped the clock on 48.31 on board his ISH mare Lightening Spirit. He and the 19-year-old Crannagh Hero bay are due to contest the AIRC team show jumping championship final at the upcoming Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, having been on the Coole Lane team who won the wildcard qualifier at the AIRC Festival.
Five riders progressed to a third round jump-off in the RC90 championship of whom two again left all the fences intact.
The speedy winner was Richie Hayes, a member of the Boru’s club, whose clear on board the 16-year-old ISH mare Away Again (Harlequin du Carel – Dollar In Clover, by Rockhill Clover) was recorded in 39.67. Mill Road’s Marie Byrne was some way off the pace with Inisowen Lady, finishing second in 47.03.
The result was closer in the RC80 championship where just two riders clashed in the third round. Claiming in the honours in 48.74 was Nuenna Farm’s Paul McDonald with his eight-year-old Irish Draught gelding Blondie My Merry Buddy (WRS Sun Rise – Elm Joy, by Elm Hill). Stracomer’s Louise Burke had to settle for second (50.07) on the home-bred Bonnie Mismatch.
Disappointingly, there were only six starters in the RC70 championship where the sole double clear was recorded by Mosstown’s Ria Shaughnessy riding the 18-year-old grey gelding Mosstown Billy.
Treo Eile sponsored awards for the highest-placed thoroughbred horses in the individual championship classes.
At RC80 level, the winner was Oakleaf’s Amy Gartland who finished third on the David Fenton-bred Bella Milano (Milan – Supreme Eile, by Supreme Leader).
The now 16-year-old bay gelding was unplaced in four bumpers when trained as a four and five-year-old by Conor O’Dwyer and in two point-to-point maidens as a nine-year-old when in the care of Barry Walsh. He last ran in early December 2019.
Killcarrick’s Lisa Rogers won the RC90 award on the 12-year-old Dragon Pulse gelding Big Cheyz with fellow Killcarrick member Lisa Rogers picking up the RC100 award on board The Same Again, a 13-year-old gelding by Court Cave.
To be eligible for these prizes in any discipline, horses must be registered – for free – with Treo Eile.
Open classes
The three open classes were won by Ballycanew secretary Deirdre Deegan on her 17-year-old bay gelding Dexters Pride (RC70), by Greenvalley’s Martina Mulligan on her 25-year-old grey gelding Tallyho Bob (RC80) and by Tara Hill’s Sally Cunningham with her ISH gelding Graf Landlord (RC90), a 21-year-old Limmerick full-brother to Graf Liberty (CCI5*-L).